Infant&#39;s pacifier with magnetic nipple



July 15, 1969 M. MUDRINICH INFANT'S PACIFIER WITH MAGNETIC NIPPLE FiledAug. 8, 1968 FIG.5

FIG.4

INVEN'IOR. MILAN MUDRINICH ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,455,292INFANTS PACIFIER WITH MAGNETIC NIPPLE Milan Mudrinich, 3325 92nd St.,Jackson Heights, N.Y. 11372 Filed Aug. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 751,179 Int.Cl. A61h 17/00 U.S. Cl. 128-1.4 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Abar magnet is contained within the hollow resilient nipple of an infantspacifier to provide a magnetic nipple for extraction of magnetizablemetallic objects from the infants mouth.

Infants are prone to insert into their mouths small objects within theirreach. Among such objects are dangerous things such as, for example,tacks, pins, nails and the like made of magnetizable material. It isusually difli cult for an adult to grasp and remove such an object fromthe infants mouth, as the infant usually resists inserting ones fingersinto the month. However, many infants become acquainted early in lifewith pacifiers, so that upon seeing a pacifier approaching the infantimmediately opens his mouth to permit insertion of the nipple. Moreover,they tend to hide things between the gums and the check, where onesfingers cannot readily reach; the nipple of the present invention canreadily reach the object and extract it. The instant magnetic nippleneed not, in fact, come into actual contact with the objects, for theobject is drawn to the nipple even when the latter is only near to theobject.

Referring briefly to the accompanying drawing, FIG. 1 is a viewillustrating a step in the application of the instant pacifier.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the pacifier, with parts broken away and partlyin section.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded side view, with parts broken away andpartly in section, illustrating a preferred detail of construction.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a modifiedmagnet construction.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral designates a ring orhandle which is shown pivotally attached to an enlargement or knob onone end of a stem 12 provided at the other end with a circumferentialgroove 13. A hollow flexible, teat-shaped resilient nipple 14,preferably made of rubber, has at its smaller or reduced end an openinginto the chamber enclosed by the nipple and is provided with a flange orbead 15 which is stretched and pulled over the stem to register in thegroove 13. The portion of the nipple immediately adjacent the flange 15constitutes the neck of the nipple.

A washer-shaped disc 16 having a center hole 17 serves its usual purposeas a shield or stop as well as aiding in constraining the nipple againstdetachment from the stem 12. The structure so far described includingthe ring 10-, the stem 12 and the shield 16 which are all usually madeof a more or less rigid plastic material, and the nipple 14 is wellknown as are also modifications of such structure.

Before passing the reduced open end of the nipple through the hole 17and engaging the flange 15 in the groove 13, a preferably cylindricalbar magnet 18 is inserted into the nipple. Where the bar magnet is ofrelatively small diameter, a cap 19 of either magnetizable ornon-magnetizable material but preferably made of plastic, is appliedover one end of the bar 18, that is, the end which is to be positionedadjacent the disc 16. The cap ice may be frictionally held in place, orit may be glued or cemented to the bar.

The magnet including the cap 19 is first inserted into the nipple bystretching the neck 20 and flange 15 in an obvious manner, whence theyboth retract and reduce the open end of the nipple thus confining themagnet therewithin. Hence, if from whatever cause the nipple shouldbecome detached from the pacifier while in an infants mouth, the magnetcannot escape from the nipple so that the infant cannot swallow it.

With the capped magnet within the nipple as shown in FIG. 3, the flangedend of the nipple is pulled through the disc hole 17 and stretched aboutthe stem 12 to register in the groove 13, thus completing the assemblyof the pacifier. Preferably but not necessarily the cap 19, or the endof the magnet having the cap shown thereon, has a slightly largerdiameter than that of the hole 17.

When it is suspected that the infant may have an object made ofmagnetizable material in its mouth, a person applies the pacifier to theinfant in the usual manner, exemplified in FIG. 1. Owing to itsfamiliarity with such a device, the infant will open its mouth as thenipple approaches, and the person can then work it about the mouth tocause the object to cling to the nipple, as illustrated, for example, bythe tack shown in phantom in FIG. 3. The object is thus readilyextracted.

It is apparent that the nipple with the magnet therein may also be usedas a teether, for the magnet provides a resistant core to the rubbernipple while the rubber of the nipple provides a yieldable resilientcover about the core. Moreover, the tight closure of the neck 20 aboutthe adjacent circumferential edge of the magnet provides a substantiallyair-tight closure of the nipple so that the air confined about themagnet further cushions the nipple when compressed.

In FIG. 5 a modified construction is shown, in that the bar magnet 18ahas a diameter equal to that of the cap 19 of FIG. 3 and therefore lackssuch a cap, since the retraction of the neck 20 about the adjacent endof the magnet similarly constrains the magnet from escaping out of thenipple.

Obviously the bar magnet may be of unitary solid construction, as shown,or, to reduce its weight, it may be made tubular or hollow or haveportions thereof gouged out, not shown.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is asfollows:

1. In an infants pacifier which includes a hollow tearshaped nipple ofresilient material having a reduced end and enclosing a chamber havingan opening thereinto through said reduced end, a handle, and meansinterposed between the nipple and the handle for securing the nipple tothe handle, the improvement consisting of a bar magnet mounted in saidchamber and positioned substantially longitudinally with respect to thenipple, at least that end of the magnet which is adjacent said openinghaving a diameter larger than the diameter of the unstretched openin-gwhereby the portion of the nipple adjacent said opening is deformedradially inward against said adjacent end of the magnet to prevent themagnet from escaping through said opening.

2. In an infants pacifier according to claim 1, said improvementconsisting additionally of a shield provided with a center holetherethrough, said shield surrounding said portion of the nippleadjacent said opening.

3. In an infants pacifier according to claim 2, said center hole havinga diameter smaller than said diameter of said adjacent end of saidmagnet.

4. In an infants pacifier according to claim 3, wherein said meanscomprises a stem having said handle at one end thereof and acircumferential groove at the other end thereof, said nipple including aflange surrounding said opening thereinto, said flange registering undertension in said groove.

5. In an infants pacifier including a handle, a stem having said handlesecured thereto at one end thereof and having a circumferential grooveat the other end thereof, a hollow teat-shaped nipple of resilientmaterial having a reduced end provided with an opening into the nippleand a flange surrounding said opening, a bag magnet mounted within saidnipple with that portion of the nipple immediately adjacent said flangeunder tension and deformed radially inward about the adjacent end of themagnet thereby preventing the magnet from escaping from the nipple, ashield having a center hole therein, said portion of the nippleextending through said hole, said flange registering under tension insaid groove.

6. An infants pacifier according to claim 4, said magnet having a cap onthat end thereof which is adjacent to said opening into the nipplethereby enlarging the diameter of said end of the magnet.

7. An infants pacifier according to claim 5, said center hole in saidshield having a diameter smaller than the diameter of said adjacent endof the magnet.

References Cited DALTON L. TRULUCK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

222g? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3,L;55,292Dated July 15, 1969 Patent No.

Inventor(s) Milan Mndrin'ioh identified patent It is certified thaterror appeais in the aboveshown below:

and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as read--toat-ahaped-.

column 3, line 9, for "bag" read --be1"--.

SIGNED AND SEALED APR? 197 R .Atteat:

Ma I. Awaiting Officehmull E; 'SGHUYIIERLJ'R. dominionot Patu tl

